The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-05-26
ST. LOUIS.
TWO Days Proceedings in the
Assembly of Southern
Presbyterians.
The Modern Doctrine of Evolution
Again Comes Up and the
Question of Reunion,

ST. LOUIS, Nav 23.-In the Southern Presbyterian
| assembly this morniug, the committee organ.
izaton and cooperative unioI, other relations
with the Presbyterian church OF the United states,
DR.. Smoot, chairman, presented three reports. The
committee is composed Of twenty-siN members, six
teen of whom made a minority report;
| nine minority report, and one minimum minor
| ity report. The majority recommends the ap-
pOintlnent of committee to be composed of five
ministers, five ruling elders and the moderator of
the assembly, to confer with similar committee
from the otner assembly and consider the whole
subject the committee to report at the next general
assembly.
This committee Is instructed to take and main
tain the following position:
Their acceptance of the common standard of our
church confession of fath--the longer and shorter
D,ss ae % 94f 9noD mnSs fVI@ tbe
| acceptance of that peculiar Interpretation
of our standards, which athrms and emphasizes
the thoroughly scriptural mature OF Christs king
dom and forbids her legislating upon political or
civil matters is the only true basis of union, and
| further, we insist that the colored brethren
within our bounds shall be organized into separate
| congregations, presbyteries and synods.
| The report which was read Dy DR.. Smoot, says:
'We are of the opinion that the difficulties In the
way of union are 30 numerous and OF 80 serious
| nature that they cannot be removed They arise
mainly out of the fact that the two churches are
not agreed in matters of either principle or
| policy The plea that the two have the same
"confession of faith may be fully met by the sim
| pie statement that evangelical denominations have
the same protestant Bible but the difference in the
case in the other arises out of the interpre
separate existence OF the southern church Is as
much demanded because of the
widely different Interpretation Of the the
in matters of doctrine and governm MT as the sepa
rate existence of other denominations OF Chris
tans is demanded, because they are not suhclentiy
agreed in their essential tenets to constitute one
organized body. No suggestion has been made,or
in the opinion of those signing the paper
can be made, for the removal OF this most
serious obstacle, which meets us at the very open
ing of this question. To unite, attempt to unite
! the two churches on any compromise on funda-
mental differences or upon any general state
ments, such as the reception of standards "pure
and simple" insure, serve only to
bring together those who could not
act in harmony and would perpetuate strife and
alienation These conclusions have been reached
by u.s. after a full and careful examination of the
whole question in the light of all the papers sub
mitted for cur consideration. The discussion OF
and south has made it, equally. manifestt
that the further agitation ofssthis question would
hinder the progress, weaken the efficiency and en-
danger the unity OF our own CnurCa en- nr por ds
sents from the position of the majority,
and says the union Of dlS,,o,,oy the two
great bodies OF ~ the -. rTes9yteTlans
would be an intolerable burden on the churches
where the meetings should be held union
would produce dismemberment OF the southern
church, large numbers of influential mem
bers of the latter being radically opposed
to such action. The assembly should solicit ex-
preston from every presbytery before taking a &C.
wife for the body before 1t was known the body
wanted wife.
A communication was received from the Amer;
ican House of Bishops of the Episcopal
church with reference to, union. of all
protestant churches, and expressing the
that the unhappy Churches cou5
} healed The declarations of 1853 and 1880, advo-
: eating Christian union against the usurpa-
of rsfertsS tSs NifSes fSee ko%s
enumerated the grounds of common belief and
} practice among protestant churches, The matter
was referred to the committee on foreign corre-
spondence to formulate reply.
ST LOUIS NAV 24-In the Southern Presbyterian
assembly, the question of Bethel churches and
their organization being under discussion, it was
finally decided that no church constituted as
Bethel church had the right of representation In
! the presbytery, and that an elder in one church
could not at the same time be an elder OF another
church.
The committee on theological semnaries sub
mited report covering the affairs of peveral semi
naries; also, an institute for training colored
ministers. The number of students in the latter
was ffty-fve,. and it was their belief that the
money used in training and educating colored
preachers was well bestowed. Columbia seminary
has been closed for year past but it has been de-
cided to reopen it next September This semi
nary has an endowment OF S2oO,OOO, and Its future
The committee on publication reported that debt
of SS5 900 had been paid off or provided for and that
1t now has assests over liabilities of $4,000. In
view of this promising fact, 1t was ordered that
coportage be started in presbyteres where 1t does
not new exist.
The judicial committee made supplemental re-
port in the case of Rev MIR. Robinson, of
North Carolina, on appeal from the synod
of that state, recommending that the case
be tried, and Revs. W. s. Davis and p. ii.
Hoge, we're named to represent the appellee.
The committee on bills and overtures reported
on overtures from Harmony and South Carolina
presbyteries, touching the acts of the last assem-
bly, on evolution and the power of the general as
sembly over theological seminaries and their in
structors. The answer WAS: "That the assembly
declines to formulate any detailed explanation of
the acts of last assembly, as any such statement,
however expressed, could only be regarded as
new deliverance on the came subject, which this
assembly does not feel called upon to make
This was an answer formulated by majority of
the committee. The minority also presented a re-
port which dealt primarily with the jurisdiction OF
different church courts, and the manner in which
the matter can be brought before the general
semby 1t says: "Respecting the further ques-
ton of the South Carolina presbytery, touching the
mode of creation as defined by the last assembly,
we recommend this assembly to answer that the
scriptures clearly reveal that In the highest sense
God is the creator of all things, and consequently
of Adams body and soul, and both the scriptures
and our confession of faith teach that his body
formed of ''the dust of the ground, whether me-
diate or immediate, but the "inscrutably made
God hath not revealed, and this assembly holds
tndt " ls not gwen u the " the ioue
by which, and the time in which, the Creator
chose to work"
The report was docketed for future consd
Grafton.
AT 1920 a. m the organic union on co.opertion
of the two great churches came up for consider
alton.
Rev w. II. Park, author of minimum minority
report, after modification of the minority report
signed that report and withdrew his OWL.
Rev. W r. CoDpedge, eff Montgomery, Va, of
fered substitute for the minority report, recon-
mending harmony but not union or cooperation.
Dr. r. X Smoot, of Texas, chairman of the
special committee and representative of the
minority side of the question then took the floor
and made long speech against union or co-opera-
ton.